Rest
by NinaNinjaFace
Summary: Korra hasn't gotten a good night's sleep since her encounter with Amon. She doesn't feel safe anywhere anymore. Makorra. Rating for language. Now a multi-chapter fic, basically a collection of semi-related oneshots.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't even know where this came from. But hence is the nature of most of my cutesy little oneshots.**

They'd both noticed something was wrong. They'd seen the dark circles under her eyes and noticed the change in her demeanor. They'd each tried to do what they could for her, in their own way. Neither of the brothers were surprised when Korra laid her head back against the tree they were all sitting against after a long practice one evening, announced she was taking a nap, and shut her eyes, dead to the world in a matter of seconds.

Bolin looked at Korra, at his brother, and towards the street vendors across the way.

"Weeeeeell...I'm heading over to the pork bun booth. I think the lovely server girl there has a profound interest in us Fire Ferrets and it would be rude of me not to go greet a fan and get some food." He stood up, hoisting Pabu onto his shoulder. "I'll be back, big brother." He waved to Mako genially and sauntered off.

Mako rolled his eyes and, having nothing better to do, stared down at the grass. He was pulling it out in small tufts and tearing them up, for lack of anything more amusing with which to occupy his time until Bolin returned, when Korra sat up suddenly, grasping at the ground with spasmodic fingers and looking around wildly.

"Korra? Are you...okay?"

Korra stared at him for a moment, as though she was unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Then she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "Nothing. I'm fine. Just a bad dream." she muttered, seeming like she was talking more to herself than Mako. "It's okay."

"Are you sure?" Mako really wasn't cut out for this comfort, worrying about people when it was something harder to understand than food, shelter, or warmth, but seeing how frazzled Korra looked, he thought it really couldn't hurt to try, at least a little. Besides, he wanted her to be in shape for the tournament, and this, whatever it was, seemed to be getting in the way of that.

"I just..." Korra looked at him, opened her mouth like she was getting ready to say something, shook her head. "Forget it. Really."

Mako shrugged. "If you want to be like that..."

Korra rolled her eyes. "Well, don't be so insistent." she snapped. "I am going to go back to sleep and maybe this time nothing's going to wake me up."

"Are you accusing me of...dumping water on you or something to make you wake up?" Mako responded defensively. Why does she have to always act like he's the enemy?

Her frustrated expression is replaced by one of confusion. "What? Where did you even come up with that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. You just seemed so...angry. Like it was someone's fault."

"It is. Just not yours." She shook her head again, rubbed her eyes hard. "You know what? No. I'm not sleeping. It's not going to do any good."

Ordinarily he would have given up long ago - he can't stand the mind games and dancing around any point of substance tricks that girls always pulled. But this feels different. Maybe because Korra's definitely not one of the girls who stand around flipping their hair and telling him how good he looks when he's out in the arena. Or maybe because, though he'd never admit it willingly, he's starting to really care about her. And maybe that's what gets him to keep talking, keep pushing her to open up, because maybe, just maybe, there's a slim chance he could help.

"Is there anything I can do?"

For some reason, it's this question over anything else that breaks the last of Korra's resolve. She was already amazed that the brooding firebender is even bothering anymore. Anyone would have given up by now, because she's never been one to let it all out easily. But the fact that _Mako_ even tried at all...and the fact that he's not giving up.

"It's...you remember when I challenged Amon to the sparring match?" Mako nodded.

"Yeah. You didn't show up to practice for a week. I was furious." Korra smiled slightly at the memory of her return to the gym after the long week off.

"I remember," she said, bowing her head. "It was...the night that I went out to Aang Memorial Island. He was there. With a whole group of chi blockers. It wasn't a fair fight. They caught me and he _had _me and he could have done anything if he wanted and he...didn't. He said he was waiting."

"For what?"

"I don't know!" Korra practically screamed this out, her shout echoing across the empty park. She bowed her head lower, speaking now in such a low voice Mako had to strain to hear her. "And it's just the thought...that he thinks he can get to me whenever he wants, he can do anything to me, he can make me completely _powerless_...I'm not even safe in my dreams, Mako. He comes for me in my dreams every night. That damned _mask_ is just everywhere...I'm scared to shut my eyes because I might see it." She brought her hands to her face, and Mako took a second to realize that she was crying.

"Korra..." He had no idea what to say. Words were not exactly his strong suit. Nor was comfort. But he had to do something for her. He couldn't stand seeing her like this. "We're not going to let him get to you." he finally said. "Me and Bolin - we're your teammates. We look out for each other. You've definitely had Bolin's and my back before, and we're going to do the same for you. No matter what. This guy in the mask, he's not going to get to you."

Korra looked up, hastily brushing her tears away and trying to maintain an air of composed dignity. "Thanks." she said after a few seconds. Then Mako did something very out of his normal character. He reached his arm out and wrapped it around Korra's shoulders, giving her a quick squeeze. She expected him to retract quickly, act like it never happened. But his arm stayed around her.

"It's going to be fine." he said softly. Something he used to tell Bolin when the winters were bad and his brother was shivering, and had stared at Mako with almost the same fearful, questioning look as Korra was giving him now. It always was, one way or another. He always took care of people he cared about.

"I believe you." Korra stated simply. She scooched back against the tree the three benders had been leaning on, pressing her shoulder against Mako's torso, half expecting him to take his arm off her, push her away, and tell her something about how close contact could be a fighter's downfall in the arena. Comfortable ground. Him telling her what she was doing wrong to improve her pro-bending skills and her responding with some cheeky comment that left him rolling his eyes and smiling somewhere deep inside that he would never admit to. Normal.

But this...this was nothing like normal Mako. Not that she minded. He was warm and he made her feel secure. Better than she'd felt since the encounter with Amon. Safe. _He makes me feel okay, _was the last thought she was conscious of before she laid her head down on his chest and fell asleep again.

Mako rolled his eyes slightly, as a reflex. But he realized he didn't mind having Korra sleeping on him. _Just so she'll get a good night's sleep and be in shape for training tomorrow, _he insisted. But he found himself carefully moving her bangs away from her face and laying a light kiss on her forehead. Korra opened her eyes blurrily at this. "You're a good person, Mako." she said, then pushed herself up slightly so she was face to face with Mako, his hand still holding her bangs back, moving to press against her cheek. "Thank you." She leaned forward and closed the small distance between them, kissing him softly. Then she laid her head back down against his chest, pressing her face into his jacket, and fell asleep again, shifting after a second so that her chest was pressed against his stomach, her arm thrown around his waist.

Mako blinked a few times, trying to make sure he wasn't asleep along with Korra and dreaming this whole thing. _Oh well,_ he decided, reaching up to thread his fingers through her dark ponytail, _it seemed like a good dream anyway._

**A/N: So yep. That happened. I was a little shaken by the arrival of Asami (I don't hate her, I actually think she seems like she could be a really cool character, but if she's messing with my Makorra shit's gonna go DOWN) and so this lovely little oneshot was born. I might make it a two-shot if people want and if I get the courage to actually write something a little worse than PG and post it where it can be read by people.**

**Every time you don't review, a baby seal drowns. So review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's Chapter 2! This could be the end, or I could probably drag it out for another chapter. I don't know. Depends on how the plot bunnies are breeding.**

Korra's been sleeping over a lot lately, Bolin's noticed. It started that night when he got a rather cold drink tossed in his face by a girl who apparently was _not_ a fan of pro-bending. Who knew? She had seemed amiable enough. He'd gone home early and was halfway through a long shower, trying to scrub the sticky orange flavored beverage out of his hair when he remembered that he'd left Mako and Korra in the park.

He'd shrugged it off. They were both old enough to find their way home. And hopefully they wouldn't kill each other in a public place with witnesses and stuff. His concern hadn't really even picked up.

But then Mako came home _very_ late, with the oddest expression on his face. Again, Bolin shrugged it off. It was late, and he wanted to get some sleep before their brutally early training session the next morning.

A few days later, Korra had followed them out of the gym, asking the boys if it was okay for her to crash in their apartment. Tenzin wouldn't mind, she said. He understood that it was a pain in the ass to have to go out to Air Temple Island every night when her airbending training had been put on hold anyway. And it wasn't like she was moving out. It was just her crashing at a friend's house because she was too tired to swim over to the island tonight.

Bolin shrugged, not caring that much who was in the apartment, because he'd met a very nice, very enthusiastic fan yesterday and promised he could take her out for a drink tonight. He didn't expect to be getting home until late, if at all. Mako, on the other hand, had hurriedly offered to walk her back to the apartment whenever she wanted, they could go to dinner first, whatever Korra felt like doing. And then it happened again, a few days later. And again. And every time Korra stayed at the apartment, she'd always go to sleep on the couch, but somehow walk out of Mako's room in the morning.

Bolin was starting to put two and two together when the pretty girl who worked at the clothing shop appeared at his shoulder and asked if he wanted to see the show or not. Not one to brood on meaningless events of weeks past, or what's becoming the norm at his apartment, Bolin followed her into the big circus tent.

* * *

Back at Mako and Bolin's apartment, Korra was sprawled out on the lumpy couch, teasing Mako that he couldn't make better fish stew than she could. Mako had taken it as a challenge and headed off to the kitchen, leaving Korra to lounge around and heckle him, an occupation which she was only too happy to keep up at. It was how things usually happened when she decided to spend the night at the apartment in the city and inevitably annoy Mako in every way possible, including kicking him out of his bed when she decided the couch wasn't comfortable enough for the Avatar to be sleeping on.

Tonight, however, Korra became bored of teasing Mako fairly quickly, and fell silent. It was in this silence that she found the need to bring up the incident of a few weeks ago, which she was fairly certain she had dreamed but was not entirely sure, since things had been…different since that night. Sure, she'd been sleeping better, probably thanks to Mako, but he'd been…looking at her differently. Staring when he thought she wouldn't notice. Grabbing her hand when she was about to take a bad fall in sparring matches and pulling her steady. Not shouting at her _quite_ as much.

She thought for a moment that he might be getting the wrong idea about her sleeping over, thinking maybe they were turning into something more, but pushed it out of her mind. _Wishful thinking, _said the irritating voice in the back of her mind that always said what she didn't want to be admitting to. She mentally sent a string of curses in that particular train of thought's direction, and made up her mind to just ask him about that night a few weeks ago, before she lost her nerve.

"Hey, Mako?" Korra yelled in the general direction of the kitchen.

"Prepare to taste defeat," he shouted back. "It's almost done and I bet it's infinitely better than yours."

"Mako!" she yelled again. "Come here. I have a question."

"Hold it for a minute." came the response.

Korra scowled and shifted herself into a recognizable sitting position, slouching and crossing her arms while she waited for Mako and an inevitable comment about how ladylike she looked. Out of the arena Mako could be a lot more relaxed, at least around her, Korra was realizing. He was getting there, anyway. He would throw insults back at her like a good-natured sparring match that ended in at least one of them laughing. It almost always made him smile, which she called monumental progress.

Mako walked into the room, carefully holding two steaming bowls. Setting one down in front of her and sitting on the couch next to her, he said "There. Better than any you could make, I'm willing to bet. Although I don't think I want to find out what I'm up against – it could kill me."

Korra reached out and smacked him across the shoulder lightly. "Deflate your ego, quick, Cool Boy." she responded. "Or I'll do it for you."

"Good luck. What did you want to ask me?"

"Ummm…funny story actually…" Korra was suddenly unsure of how to start. "So…remember that thing…that time a few weeks ago…when I kept falling asleep after practice…?"

"Yes, I remember." he responded, not giving her anything else to go on. _Spirits, this is awkward._

"Well…um, I had this weird little thing and I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not." She looked at him, praying that he would say something to spare her from voicing what was probably just an embarrassing fantasy – no, dream, not fantasy, that would mean it was something she wanted to happen and –

"What was this 'thing'?" he asked, after a few seconds of silence, looking at her expectantly again.

"Well…I fell asleep on you…and…I woke up…and…I kind of…kissed you…?" Korra rushed the last words, as though they were burning her mouth and she was trying to extinguish them by spitting them out.

Mako was silent for several seconds, leaving Korra afraid she had crossed some boundary, something that she wasn't supposed to be talking about, something she didn't understand. She was about to start babbling again, pretend nothing had ever been said, when Mako spoke up.

"Yes. That happened."

"Oh."

"Yeah."  
"So…now what?" Korra asked this, not intending it to be a loaded question, simply wondering. She wasn't even entirely sure she knew what answer she wanted to hear.

"Well, you kissed me, so…"  
"Was kissing you a bad thing to do? Because I was half asleep and I can pretend it was a dream and we can pretend it never happened if you want – "

"Korra." Mako cut across her babbling. "I don't think it was a bad thing. Not...if you don't…"

Korra stayed silent for a long time, and suddenly he was afraid he'd scared her off somehow. Finally, she took a deep breath and said, so quickly that he thought he must have heard wrong, "CanIkissyouagain?"

"What was that?"

"Don't make me say it again. You heard me." Korra muttered, bowing her head in an effort to hide the blush spreading over her cheeks.

"Fine. I won't." Mako closed the distance between them, tilted her face up to his, and kisses her lightly. Korra responded immediately and enthusiastically, surprising him. Not that he's complaining. It's not like he could pretend he hasn't thought about this before, or like he could say he never wanted this…

Korra drew his attention back to the present situation by shifting her position so her legs were draped on either side of him, her hands on his shoulders. Her tongue probed into his mouth, slow but certain. Mako sat up, wrapping his arms around her waist and pushing himself towards her into a standing position. Stumbling blindly, the couple somehow found their way to Mako's room.

* * *

Korra had fallen asleep, something Mako was grateful for on several levels. He's there for her if she has another nightmare, and he could make sure she slept enough to be in shape for practice tomorrow. And though he'd never admit this to anyone, he likes how Korra looks when she sleeps. She seems so at ease, oddly peaceful, when she's shut her eyes and tuned out the world.

He reached out to run his hand through her hair, causing her to stir. She mumbled something unintelligible, pulling a sheet up over chest (her breast wrappings had been discarded somewhere in the pile of her's and Mako's hastily torn off clothing), and rolled on her side to face Mako, blinking.

"Hi." she said, grinning broadly.

"Hey." he responded, throwing an arm around her and pulling her flush against him. She pressed her face into his bare chest, enjoying how warm he was.

"Thanks for letting me sleep here." she muttered, already closing her eyes again.

"That's what you call 'sleeping here'?" Mako raised his eyebrows. "Korra, please, sleep here any night you want."

Korra giggled and snaked her arms around his neck, pressing against him like she was making an effort to fuse their bodies into one being. "Shhhhhh." she whispered. "I'm sleeping and you're keeping me awake. Now shut up and keep being warm."

Mako had to stifle a laugh as Korra nuzzled her head against him and fell back asleep. He slid his hand up her back to stroke her hair again, because she made the most adorable face when he did that. He tried not to think about what would happen come morning. Sure, Korra had come to sleep in his room before, but before it had been just that. Sleeping. Her complaining about how uncomfortable the couch was and kicking him over to take a large expanse of the bed for herself. Nothing like this.

But right now, Mako told himself, Korra was sleeping and he was there and they were happy. And that was all he was going to allow to matter for the moment.

**A/N: Yes, I chickened out of writing anything over PG-13. Well…I tried writing it and that didn't work (meaning I was too embarrassed because I'm the most prudish slut you'll ever talk to). Maybe if I get the balls to do it and I decide this could use another chapter. We shall see what happens when the AP exams (which I didn't study for so I could write this, so appreciate me) are over. And thank you so much for the reviews and favorites and everything! I love you all! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Because people keep putting this on alert and favoriting it and reviewing (thank you so much!), I feel obligated to continue it. I might just sort of go off on oneshots that all loosely tie into a central-ish theme of resting...then I wouldn't have to change the title or anything! I won't really have a plot but that's irrelevant.**

**ANYWAY. I shall shut up so you can all get on to the actual story. **

It had been a week since they had found out.

Mako and Bolin had grabbed a newspaper when they were out picking up groceries (Korra was still snoring back at their apartment) and found themselves staring at a masked visage. Though his expression was obviously hidden, Mako was certain the bastard was smirking in the picture. EQUALIST MOVEMENT LOOKS OUTWARD, the headline blared. The story detailed the Equalist movement's progress out of Republic City, spreading the word of the non-bending enlightenment to nearby cities and towns who had not yet heard the gospel words of Amon.

Mako had stuck the paper down into a bag. "Not a word to Korra," he told his brother. It was the last thing she needed - more stress on top of training and learning airbending. She'd been pushing herself pretty hard lately (Mako didn't want to admit that he was probably pushing her just as hard, if not harder, because they were _so close_ to winning). He didn't want to make things worse for her. Not now. She could start to worry about scum like Amon when the tournaments were over and she had advanced in her airbending, he reasoned.

Both boys tried to put the disturbing news out of their mind, a task made significantly easier when they arrived back at the apartment. Korra, who had very recently woken up, was chasing Pabu around the apartment, using some of her new airbending techniques to try and reach him on the ceiling. Pabu had her hair ornaments in his mouth and was chewing them contentedly, while Korra seethed, highly reminiscent of an angry hedgehog-rabbit with how her long locks were sticking up in every direction imaginable.

Mako called for Korra, trying to get her to come down while Bolin called out words of encouragement to the fire ferret - "Careful, boy! Don't want to let her catch you! Quick, quick, get away! Over here, give them to me, I'll hide them." Korra, distracted momentarily by the shouts below her, lost her focus on the air ball she was balanced on, and fell several feet onto the floor. Bolin winced.

"Don't blame Pabu!" he yelled out, grabbing the ferret by the tail and scurrying to the kitchen, to make a start on the groceries. Mako approached Korra cautiously, preparing for a water whip or fireball in his direction.

"You okay?" he called, standing a safe distance of several feet away from her.

"Yes. Get over here and help me up, you ass."

Mako had done as she ordered - it was much smarter to just go along with what she said than try to mess with Korra in the morning. He pulled her up and into a hug (in case she decided that a fireball still wasn't out of the question). "Have I ever told you how pretty you look when you just wake up?" he asked.

"No. I'm going back to bed." Korra squirmed out of his grip and turned towards his room, then back to him after a few steps. "Well, aren't you coming?"

"I'll be there in a minute. Go and sleep again." He kissed her quickly, then steered her back towards his room. "Go on."

Korra turned to make a face and walked out of the living room, slamming the door to Mako's room behind her. Sensing the all-clear, Mako hurried to the kitchen, dug the paper out of the bag where he'd stuffed it, and threw it out the open window, then went back to Korra. _No sense in getting her all worked up now,_ he thought, almost as a justification. He wouldn't admit it to anyone (except maybe her), but really he just wants to see her smile and not be stressing herself out over all of this. She shouldn't have to be worrying.

Korra's sprawled in such a way that she takes up the entire bed, and Mako could swear she's doing it on purpose. Had it been anyone else, they would have been flat on the floor in five seconds or less, but Korra has the unfair talent of making it an endearing action. He nudges her shoulder gently instead.

"Move over."

Korra mutters something unintelligible and rolls over onto her back, not fixing the problem in any way. He nudges her again, to no response.

"I swear, if you don't move soon, I'm picking you up and dumping you on the floor."

She opens an eye blurrily. "You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" A wicked smirk lights up her face. "You like me too much to do that."

"I wouldn't try your luck."

Korra smiles even more widely and moves her legs just enough so Mako has room to sit down on the edge of the bed. He lays back, making sure to land on top of her as much as he can. She squirms underneath him for a few minutes, yelling for him to get off, and finally wriggles over to give him his own room.

"You're a jerk," she mutters. "Now get over here and kiss me."

"I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because you were taking up the whole bed." Mako's just enjoying teasing her now, and she knows it. It irritates her no end, and she's sure that's why he always does it. "So I don't think this is going to work."

"But I'm so nice. And I'm the Avatar and everything."

"But you can't share. You're going to have to sleep with Naga from now on if you want to stay my girlfriend."

"Jerk." Korra kicks him lightly and snuggles up against him. "I'm staying here tonight, just so you know."

"Korra, we've got the next round in the tournament tomorrow."

"Exactly."

"See, here's the thing about pro-bending tournaments - you generally don't do as well in them if you've been up half the night with your boyfriend." Korra hits him hard enough to actually hurt a little in response to this and mutters an insult under her breath. Mako decides she's only saying it because in the Water Tribes, insults are generally interpreted as words of gentle kindness.

"I don't mean like...that. I just mean sleeping." Korra's silent for a few seconds, her fingers tracing patterns on his bicep. "I can't sleep most nights without you. Because with you...if I see that mask in my dreams...and I wake up and..." She takes a deep breath and says her last sentence in a rush. "I know I'll always see you and you'll make sure I'm okay so I don't really have bad dreams."

"I'll always make sure you're okay," he says, trying to sound as certain as possible, a reassurance for both of them. Because he wants it to be true just as much as he thinks she does.

"I know." Korra says, closing her eyes. "And I'll make sure you're okay too. Even though you always seem like you're okay on your own...I'll make sure you're okay. If you need it." And with that, she's asleep.

Mako stays awake for awhile, thinking about what she'd said. He almost wishes he could tell her how wrong she was. He would never be okay on his own. He needs Bolin. He had needed his parents, and he still would if they were still around. He had been forced into being okay on his own, and that was hard enough still, even with his brother and the ridiculous fire ferret always with him. Mako knows he'll always need someone else there, no matter how much of a face he can put up. He takes care of his brother like he does now because he needs him.

And he needs her. He's starting to realize just how un-okay he would be without her. It scares him, this feeling for her. This desire, this _need,_ to protect her and make her smile and take care of her and always be with her. He knows what he's feeling, this thing that would mean he would never be 'okay on his own'. Not without Korra.

It's not something he can give a name to in daytimes, when he knew she could hear him and the words would be real. But here in the dark, when he's able to see just how much he needs her, Mako can say the words that freeze on his tongue in the the sun.

But apparently, he says these words too loudly, or maybe she's just been feigning sleep, relishing the comfort and safety of being in his arms. But either way, he knows she heard him, because she says it back, and he can only hope that this isn't all a dream.

Then the flickering candle in the corner throws light onto the paper he had hidden earlier in the day, the one blaring the plans of the Equalists, and he knows this must be waking life. His arms tighten in their hold around Korra, and he wonders if he should tell her.

_No sense right now, _he thinks. _Right now, just let her be happy._

**A/N: I am not thrilled with this because it's threatening to take on a plot of sorts and that would be time consuming and I'd keep feeling obligated to update it. And I am SUPER busy right now. So I don't have time for constant updates and then I'd feel bad and it would just be problematic.**

**Reviews and things are welcome. Every time you review, a horse turns into a unicorn. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Caution, this is a rather long A/N. Skip it if you want.**

**Wow. I was a little bit psychic with the whole "Amon spreading the reign of terror" thing. Huh. Anyway, this picks up right where the last episode (S1Ep6 - And The Winner Is...) left off. With a bit of a twist.**

**This is a little different from the usual Makorra stuff, but I was a little irritated in one respect by the latest episode. I wasn't happy with the Mako/Asami, but that was something I could bear to see because we haven't actually seen a kiss from them and we have seen one for Makorra. But that wasn't what really got to me.**

**I was actually pretty pissed about how they're making Bolin out to be. This is still going to be a Makorra-centric oneshot, but I wanted to give Bolin a little more recognition as a legit character. So I'm kind of trying to do that with this.**

* * *

It's all fallen apart. Bolin's stunned to see the smoke rising from the middle of the platform he would have almost called home. But there's nothing he can do now, not for the arena or for the pro-benders who have just lost the element that defined them. It's a fate he wouldn't wish on even the Wolfbats, even when they were about as close as he'd come to up-close-and-personal enemies.

He focuses instead on his older brother, bent over the body of their teammate. Korra had fallen through the roof of the arena, and while the police chief had been able to slow her down, stop the impact from being so bad, even Lin Beifong hadn't been able to ward off the attacks of the Equalist leader.

Bolin can't tell exactly how bad Korra's hurt herself, but he knows it can't be good. It takes a lot to make his brother break down like this. Because he can tell - Mako's lack of any action, the way he's cradling Korra and begging her, just saying over and over, "Wake up, Korra, come on, heal yourself, you can do it, you just need to wake up", is the most show of defeat he'll ever see. In one move, the Equalists have destroyed almost everything Mako puts faith in, almost everything he's devoted so much of his life to and depended on. They've hurt the girl he loves and they've destroyed the best hope the brothers had of getting out of the poverty they struggled through, and this time, it's been too much.

So it's Bolin who takes action now. He pulls his brother to his feet. Mako looks blank, and Bolin questions momentarily if his brother is even registering the destruction of the ring. He very carefully lifts Korra up into his arms and carries her out of the arena, out to the locker rooms, calling out for Mako to follow.

They both know they can't stay too long in the arena. They don't know who else is around, and they don't want to risk running into any more electrically equipped masked legions of the infamous chi-blocker. But Korra's shifting, starting to open her eyes, and they need to have her somewhere she can heal herself.

"What happened?" she asks, looking around, bewildered. "Is it Amon? Did he get you guys too? He didn't take away your bending, did he? Did he take away mine?"

"Korra. It's fine." says Bolin, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. "We're all fine. Amon got away and you fell through the roof. No one got any bending taken away except the Wolf-Bats. Can you make yourself better?"

Korra nods and sits up, gritting her teeth in an effort to stifle a noise of pain. "Just get me some water."

Bolin turns to his brother, who's sitting in the corner with his head in his hands. "Mako. Can you bring some water over here?"

Mako gets up, grabs a jug sitting near his foot, and carries it over to the others. "I'm sorry, Korra." he says.

Korra shakes her head. "You didn't do anything. If anything, I should be apologizing. I probably got Amon thinking about targeting pro-benders."

"No. You didn't do anything wrong. I should have protected you."

Bolin can see where this is going, and doesn't want to hear it. "Both of you, shut up." he snaps abruptly. "It's no one's fault but the maniac in the mask, all right? Don't go tossing apologies around because neither of you did anything wrong. We're all going to be okay and we're going to get Amon and stop him, okay? But right now, we just need to focus on getting Korra fixed up and home."

Korra nods and bends the water around one of her ankles, then her collarbone, then the back of her head, illuminating her body in the eerie glow of healing waters. Bolin watches him go, then turns back to Korra to find her eyes trained on him.

"You're a good brother." She whispers this, so Mako can't hear. "You help him more than you realize."

"So do you." he responds, willing Korra to leave him, go to Mako because Mako's the one who's really broken right now. Bolin doesn't care anymore, really, that Korra prefers his brother to him. It stung for a little while, but he soon realized that there were plenty of other fish in the sea, and he'd happily introduce himself to Asami if Mako should decide he doesn't want to keep up the facade anymore. Besides, Mako needs someone like Korra far more than he does.

* * *

They hurry back to the apartment through empty streets. _It makes sense,_ Korra thinks as she glances over to see another boarded-up storefront, shut tight until morning. _People would be hiding after what just happened. They're scared. They want to pretend that being shut up in their houses will make them untouchable. _

Mako's already headed to his room by the time Bolin's locked the door behind them. Korra glances at him, asking silently whether he wants to go and talk to his brother. Bolin shakes his head and fixes her with a steady stare. "We'll be okay." he breathes, almost inaudible, as he reaches out to place a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be okay." Korra returns the gesture and walks into her boyfriend's bedroom.

Mako's leaning against the far wall, lighting the room with little tongues of flame dancing on his fingertips. "I don't want to talk." He pushes himself off from the wall and takes a few steps towards her. "Just leave it, Korra."

She can't, though. As much as she'd love to be the needy one right now, to throw herself into Mako's arms and cry about how scared she is, she has to be strong. For him.

"I won't let anything happen to you." she says in a low voice. She can't think of anything else to say. "I won't let them ever get to you or Bolin or this place or -"

"What about you?" he cuts her off. "What about letting them get to you?"

Korra's eyebrows knit in confusion. "What are you..."

"They almost got to you, Korra. I thought I'd lost you for a minute back there. And...other than Bolin, you're all I have. I need to know you'll always be all right."

"I will. Amon's never going to get to me. You know I'm better than him."

"But I'm still scared for you, Korra." The boy standing over her now looks so vulnerable, so raw and scared, that it's almost like a different person in front of her. She's taken aback by his selflessness and scared for him and she doesn't know what to do any more than he does right now.

"Nothing's going to happen to me." She wraps her arms around him and holds fast. "We're all going to be fine. We take care of each other, like you told me. That's what teammates and friends and people who care about each other do."

Mako worms his arms out of her embrace and hugs her closer. The two frightened teenagers stand there, clinging to one another with nothing else to hold on to, for several minutes, until Mako finally pulls away slightly.

"Can you stay here?" he asks, almost shyly. "I just...I want to stay with you and make sure you're okay."

Korra nods and nestles herself against him again. "Always."

* * *

Bolin's in his room alone, lying awake and staring at the ceiling. He's glad that Mako and Korra have someone to hold at night, to make them remember they've got support and people who will always take care of them. He knows that Mako and Korra both would do anything for him - hadn't they already proved that with how they rescued him from the chi-blockers? - but it's not always easy to spend nights like this alone.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that wasn't exactly what I intended but I like how that turned out. Meh. **

**I'm really not sure what to call this - I don't know if it's oneshots or something threatening to have a plot. I'll see what happens next time I get inspired and get back to you all.**

**Thank you everyone for the reviews and the favorites and the alerts and everything! You guys are the best! Keep reviewing and I will post the map to a Narnia where everything is made of cookies.**

**ALSO - to some person who doesn't have an account or something who told me that the way I write the characters isn't the way they'd really act, I just wanted to say something. I am perfectly aware they'd never do anything like this. I write to soothe my shipper heart when the pairing I want isn't doing exactly what I want when I want it, not to be super-quality writing. I swear I'm not trying to be a prick who doesn't take criticism well (though that's probably how I'm coming across). I just want to make sure people know that I'm not trying to be a super amazing writer with this. I'm really writing for me and for anyone else who's willing to sit and read through my overly idealistic mush.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: YOU EVIL SPOILED JERKFACES. YOU GOT ME. UPDATING AFTER ONLY ONE DAY **_**AND**_** I'M MAKING A PLOT OUT OF THIS.**

**I'm almost done with school (out in two weeks) and then I've got a few months to waste before I go off to college. So I don't really have much of an excuse to make this just fluffy one shots anymore. It's going to be a pretty fluff-centric piece overall, and completely non-canon in any way except the characters and the premise and such, because I'm not so good with actual plots and action and continuity and such, but I'll give that at least something of a shot. **

**Thank you everyone for the reviews and alerts and the like! And enjoy!**

Nothing keeps the nightmares away anymore.

She can practically see the smirk behind the mask, the satisfaction of knowing what he has finally done.

The chi blockers release her. There's no reason for them to be holding her anymore - Amon might as well have paralyzed her with the knowledge of what he's done. And then they're gone.

She curls into a little ball, like making herself smaller will turn her back into a loudmouthed seven-year-old whose only worry was beating the boys at penguin sledding races back in the South Pole. Without a clue of where she could be offering itself up out of the darkness, she lets herself start to cry. Ordinarily she would be fighting to keep a face until she was alone, but who else could possibly be there? And how could it matter anymore anyway?

"Korra."

She scrambles to her feet, hastily brushing away her tears. She doesn't want him to see her crying.

"I'm fine!" she calls back. "They got away but they didn't get me."

"Korra." he says again, suddenly in front of her, out of nowhere. "Come here."

It's strangely like an order but that doesn't bother her. Why would she have reason to do anything but listen to him? She comes to him.

"Are you all right?" He sounds strange, but she doesn't really care. She just needs him right now, and he can ask all the stupid questions he wants and she'll lie and pretend it's all right just for a moment.

"I already told you, yes. I'm fine."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me."

She looks up and it's there again - the mask and the blank stare and the smirk burning through the molded face.

* * *

He's jolted out of sleep by her screaming and grabs her shoulders, trying to make her wake up. "Korra...Korra! It's okay. I'm here. You're okay."

Her eyes open, but she doesn't seem to process who's holding her and starts thrashing against him. "Korra! It's only me, it's Mako. You're fine. Shhhh, it's okay, just breathe. You're fine."

Mako holds her tight as her struggling subsides and turns to shivering. It's cold out there, but he doubts it's affecting her. "What happened?" he asked. Korra shakes her head. She doesn't like to talk about her nightmares, but Mako tries anyway. He'll never push it, but he wants to give her the chance to talk.

* * *

The Fire Ferrets had headed out of the city when the first riots broke out. They knew Amon was looking outward, and was still hunting Korra. Mako still feels the need to hold Korra's hand or put an arm around her protectively when he thinks of some of the threats against her printed in the newspapers or blasted over the radio. Mako had convinced Bolin and Korra that leaving the city was the best thing for all of them, saying they could come back when things had calmed down a little.

Korra had told Bolin to go run to the arena, pick up a few things that Korra had declared they would need, and hurry to the bay. She and Mako would meet him there. They could get out of the city on Naga. She warned him to take side streets and stay away from people, but to not look like he was lurking around anywhere. She gave him a letter to drop in a post-box, addressed to Air Temple Island, with Tenzin's name marked on it. She watched him disappear around a corner through the window.

Mako came up behind her, not knowing what to say. He didn't think there was anything he _could_ say. What difference would it make now?

"It's all fallen apart, hasn't it?" she'd said after a few seconds, without turning around. "Maybe I shouldn't have come to Republic City. Everything's such a mess now."

Still Mako had no words, but he put his arms around her, trying to communicate somehow that she was needed here. Benders and those who were against Amon needed the symbol of the Avatar, to rally them in what was promising to be a hard fight. Without Korra, nearly every bender in the city would have lost their abilities by now, he guessed. And without Korra...Mako himself didn't know where he'd be. He had wondered if he was trying to convince Korra that her being in Republic City hadn't been for the worse, simply because of what he was feeling.

"We'll be okay." Korra had said, in a way that seemed an effort to convince herself as much as anyone else. She had turned around suddenly and kissed him, hard and uncertain. It had reminded him of the first time they kissed.

The two had been headed for the bay, running into Bolin not far from the apartment, and had stumbled into a full-scale riot. There Korra had rescued Asami from a couple of ruffians, who appeared to be taking advantage of the lack of order. Asami followed her friends to the bay, and told them how she had run away after her father had declared his allegiance to the Equalists. "Out of fear," Asami had defended him. But she had stolen a large amount of money from his cashbox, grabbed a satocycle out of the garage, and left with a couple of sentimental things stuffed into a backpack.

* * *

Asami's sleeping in Bolin's tent now. Mako hadn't been surprised by how well the two had gotten on - Asami had dumped him because she was "tired of being serious all the time" (she'd said it in the nicest possible terms, but Mako knew what she meant), and Bolin was nothing if not a break from being serious. And he had always liked Asami - at first, he'd simply been drawn in by her looks and charm, but he had been happily surprised by her character as he learned more about her life. The pair worked well together. They're each what the other needs, and Mako's happy that his brother has someone now.

Korra's sleeping again, breathing deep and steady, but Mako can't bring himself to close his eyes. He stares out past the opening of their tent at the unfamiliar landscape like he's trying to memorize it as his fingers trace patterns over Korra's back. It's not the hard ground they're camping on or the unfamiliar noises of nature - he's always been good at adjusting. But he can't help but see the haunts of his girlfriend's dreams, peeking out from behind every tree or dropping out of the clouds that drift over the face of the moon.

Korra stirs, opens her eyes. "Mako, you okay?" she asks drowsily, half-registering the wary, determined look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." he says, not because it's true, but because it has to be.

**A/N: Yes, I ship Bosami. I could totally see it happening. And I just want Bolin to be happy. He's just such a big sweetheart.**

**And oh my goodness. Ummmm...I feel super awkward and feel like I should probably stop responding to reviews like this, but I feel bad and I want to set something straight. I didn't consider the review I was bitching about last chapter a flame or something. It was just someone probably trying to help me be a better writer and I was just responding to that in the actual story because they left a review without a username or anything. Like...thank you to everyone who was like "I don't care what anyone says, your story is awesome!", I really do appreciate that, but I promise, the person wasn't being mean or anything. So no one else needs to yell at them. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Holy lord of pajamas. Whatever I'm writing is actually happening on the show to an extent. *runs off to write a chapter of Korra and Mako getting married in a lovely magical wedding full of glitter and then have sexy babies***

**Anyway. This is kind of a flashback because it's not exactly in line with the timeline but I can see it happening and it's a break from fluff and it kind of makes where I'm going with this story make a little more sense. It's kind of canon, sort of kind of going off of what happened in the last episode with everyone moving to Air Temple Island. It makes sense I promise.**

_Asami doesn't want to remember. She wishes she could go back before this whole mess started. Wouldn't it be so much nicer to live in a lie when you didn't know there was anything else to it?_

_Ever since that night when she turned against her father ("you didn't turn against him, you just left," they all tell her, but it still feels like a betrayal), things had only gotten worse. _

Life wasn't so bad on the island. Of course, Asami would never complain after Korra had pulled her out of the riots. They were meaning only to stay on Air Temple Island for a few days before heading out, trying to get away from Amon and do some damage control before he started really looking outward from Republic City, but the island felt so distant. Like nothing could touch them. And so they all stayed.

Asami got to spend time with Mako. And Bolin and Korra, too. Bolin could make her laugh even more than Ikki and Meelo's antics, she learned. Even when she'd figured out what was going on with her boyfriend and Korra (they really were pretty obvious, Asami reflected - no ill feelings, just a slight amusement now), she hadn't cared that much. Things were changing. Like how she hadn't thrown Bolin off the bridge the night that he kissed her. It was before she'd broken up with Mako. She would have been completely within her rights to throw him off the bridge. She was perfectly capable of doing so. But things were changing. She was going through a hard time. That was how she justified it.

But it was hard even to remember the night Bolin kissed her, the night that she'd seen Korra and Mako sneaking off in a way that wasn't going to let her keep denying facts anymore, the night she'd been ready to end it with Mako and try to make herself a little more happy again, because it didn't work out the way she planned. It never did.

Airships were over the bridge and suddenly bombs were dropping. Bolin dove forward, throwing himself on top of her and knocking her out of the way as an explosion blasted apart the middle of the bridge where she'd been standing not a moment ago. The rocks were crumbling under their feet, and before either one could do anything about it, before Bolin could earthbend the rocks back to something a little more stable to get them back to solid ground, they were falling into the river.

_Asami doesn't really remember much after that. A chunk of the bridge hit her in the head and knocked her out. She had almost drowned. But she supposes that's for the better. She doesn't want to know any more of that night and how all that could have been all right just fell to nothing with the bombs._

* * *

_Bolin notices Asami tensing up and hugs her closer. He knows she's going through a hard time - they all are. But no one else could imagine what Asami's going through. He doesn't know what to do for her, though she generally seems to just want to avoid it altogether. "He's behind me," she said. She never said her father's name anymore. He suspects she doesn't know whether to call him Dad or a traitor. "It's all behind me. I just want to forget about it and focus on now." Then she makes some joke and he runs with it and makes her laugh and it's all okay for a moment._

It couldn't have been okay. He guessed that kissing her was a mistake even before he did it, but Bolin called himself an idiot enough to believe it. He didn't care right now. And sure, maybe he was a little jealous. Why did Mako get Korra _and _Asami?

So he kissed her. And she kissed him back, a little. He wouldn't know now, since the fires had started up almost as soon as their lips touched. He wondered ruefully whether the spirits just really didn't want him to get laid or if Asami had some scarily overprotective parents, but no time to be thinking jokes right then. Because right then Asami had fallen into the river.

Bolin dived in after her and towed her to shore, laying her down on the grass and saying over and over "Asami, come on, wake up, come on, Asami..." until Korra came around and bended the water that wasn't supposed to be there out of Asami's lungs. Korra insisted the water wasn't enough to do damage, Asami hadn't drowned, see, that was a pulse, that was a heartbeat, you could feel it if you put your hand on her chest right there.

Nevertheless, Bolin had stayed with her until she woke up. They'd gotten themselves out of the city - for real this time. Asami hadn't opened her eyes until they'd set up tents in a small wooded grove, not too far from the edge of the city.

"Where are we? What happened?"

_Bolin had been worried that she had lost her memory, but she hadn't. He almost wishes that she didn't remember. It would have been nicer for Asami to not remember all that had happened to her, he thinks._

* * *

_Mako stupidly thinks, even now, that they could have changed things. Korra's asleep, pillowed on his chest, but he's staring at the ceiling of their tent so hard that he might be trying to burn holes through it to see the night sky. He can't stop thinking about that night. If only he had insisted they all leave earlier…if only he hadn't let his guard down…if only they hadn't all convinced themselves it was all okay…_

He just wanted to be alone with Korra. He'd laced his fingers through hers (under the table, so Asami couldn't see) and squeezed her hand. She responded with a small game of foot war. They couldn't stop smiling all through dinner.

After, Korra made some excuse about meditating. Mako tried to think of a reason he'd want to be alone, but there had been no need. He pretended he hadn't seen Ikki's eyes darting from him to Korra with a look of knowing that translated to terror when seen on that child, and had just inwardly sighed with relief when she pulled on Asami's arm and insisted on taking her and Bolin out to the garden to play on the swing set they had constructed.

Mako heads over to his room for the pretense of it, and leaves after a few minutes to go knock on Korra's door. He goes in without waiting for an answer.

"You know, I could have been just getting out of the shower and you could have walked in on me wearing absolutely nothing," she'd teased, jokingly affronted. "Show some manners next time."

"If that's what happens when I don't use manners, I'm never using them again." he had joked.

They both smiled and he kissed her and everything was okay. Everything kept being okay as his lips stayed on hers. It was all okay for a while but then there was the sudden blast and another and another and he knew, they both knew, they had to get to Bolin and Asami.

Their progress was slightly hindered by the need to grab an article of clothing here or there, and they found their way to Bolin and Asami mainly by following Bolin's voice to the river bank. Asami was lying there wet and pale and still and utterly lifeless. Korra had sprung into action but he had frozen. He was too late. They were all too late.

They had grabbed what they could, made sure Korra's family was out of the house and relatively safe (Tenzin said they could find refuge with the council, somewhere in the city, and if worst came to worst, they could head out to stay with Tenzin's mother and Korra's family in the South) and headed out on Naga. Korra had stared out ahead of her, barely seeming to register where the polar bear-dog was going. Mako managed to maneuver himself up behind her and put his arms around her, but she hadn't responded. For a while, nothing had gotten through to her.

_Mako doesn't know what he can do now, but he knows he has to fix this. For his brother, for the friend who lost everything because of this pointless division, and for the girl he loves who bears the burden of this fight simply because of who she is._

* * *

Korra's feigning sleep, waiting until it really comes. She's comfortable and safe as she could ever feel with Mako. That's the thing about Mako – he makes you feel like you don't have to worry about anything, when you need it the most. She wants to hold onto this feeling for as long as she can, and for some reason it always comes when they're lying together, when he's probably sleeping and she's trying to fall asleep but stay awake at the same time.

She can't put into words what she's feeling. This was never what she wanted. Sure, she was happy with the friends she'd found in Republic City, but she couldn't stop wondering whether her arrival had made the situation with the Equalists even worse. She wonders if she would give up what she has, what she's found, to save what peace there might have been.

"I don't think I could give you up," she whispers, praying Mako's actually asleep and not just faking like she is.

"What do you mean?" he asks. Of course he was awake.

"I was thinking again. About…" Korra doesn't have to say it. It's a subject that's arisen between them plenty of times already, but neither has ever said anything about the implications it has on their relationship and what it might mean or have meant for them.

"Korra, this wasn't your fault." Mako says. She's heard it so many times before, and she figures he's tired of saying it, but he sounds so earnest that she chooses to believe him. For now.

"I just…I don't regret coming here. Even with Amon and everything. Because I know that things might be bad now, but I'm going to stop him somehow. But…I wouldn't have wanted to never have met you." She presses her head against his chest. "I'm going to sound really stupid probably but...you mean a lot to me. Thank you for being who you are and always being there for me and…" Korra trails off, frustrated that she can't get this into words. "I just love you, okay?"

Mako rests his chin on the top of her head. "I love you too. And no matter what happens with Amon and the Equalists, I'm never going to wish you hadn't come here."

Korra tilts her head up and gropes her hand around in the darkness, trying to find Mako's face. "I want to kiss you but I can't see where you are."

Mako laughs, a sound that she feels through his chest, and raises his hand so a small flame dances on a fingertip and he can just see Korra's features a few inches from his own. He tilts her chin up and touches his lips to hers, just lightly, but then she won't let him go. The fire in his hand goes out, and Korra snuggles against him, murmuring that she's going to actually sleep now.

Mako falls asleep, at least Korra thinks he does, but she doesn't just yet. Things feel different right now, but she couldn't say whether it's good or bad. She's not sure she wants to know just yet.

**A/N: Okay, so there wasn't as much plot as I hoped. But I have actual plot-like things planned for the next chapter! I was just in a fluffy mood. And I felt bad for Asami. I should probably just go write her a oneshot where everything is okay. **

**Confession time, actually – I half-seriously ship Asami/Korra. Because honestly, did you not see that look that Korra gave Asami after she took her satomobiling?**

**So review! Because every time you don't, Pabu doesn't stick the landing and falls on his face. And no one wants that for Pabu.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Wow you guys. Wow. You are all so nice and lovely and thank you everyone for the reviews and all the niceness and wow. I love you all. **

**So plot! That's happening kind of! Yay! Everyone likes plots! Don't worry, I will still have plenty of fluff. I just wanted to add something that's (hopefully) a little more substance and (hopefully) not horribly written. **

**Also - to MySoulIsYoursTakeIt - no, Asami is not dead. I kind of wish she were so she would stop screwing with my precious Makorra. But no, I could never kill her off. Her hair is too fabulous. She just almost drowned and such. I guess I didn't make it clear enough in the last chapter that the first part was her looking back on what had happened before. **

It's a simple errand into a nearby town. Pick up some food, some supplies, and maybe get a scope of the damage Amon may have done. There's nothing else they can do, just waiting out in the wilderness for an attack to come to them.

Wait and see. It's an order that they all hate to have to follow, but it's all that really can be done. Asami's made that much clear, to Mako, at least.

"You don't have to like it, but good luck changing it." she'd said bluntly when Mako had come complaining one night. "Things suck right now. You're going to have to help make this right in the way that's best, and diving headfirst into a situation you can't comprehend isn't the way to do it." She put on a gentler tone, laid a hand on his shoulder, looked at him sympathetically. "I know it's not easy, but it's just for now. It'll get easier soon. It has to. Just stay strong."

He'd lost control at that. "I'm sick of being strong!" he'd screamed, loud enough to send birds flying out of the nearest tree. He was sure Asami was going to be staring at him, stunned frozen, or be slowly backing away with tears welling up in her eyes. But the green-eyed girl had stayed calm and surprised him.

"I know." she'd said.

Mako focuses on the path in front of him again, a dirt road leading into a rather pitiful town square. He follows Korra, looking around to try and catch a glimpse of any Equalist propaganda that would clue them in as to whether Amon's been around. There's nothing that he can see, and he takes it to be a good thing. _One thing that's gone right,_ he thinks.

The thought's barely formed in his mind when suddenly, a tall girl with short black hair bursts out from behind a tree and nearly runs into Korra. "Move!" she shouts, grabbing the Avatar's hand and yanking her off the path. Mako doesn't have time register, and follows instinctively. He's glad he did, because not two seconds later a blast of fire materializes right where he had just been standing. _A hand pushing on his chest, pushing him back. His little brother's hand encircling his elbow, eyes glued to the scene in front of them. Ordered to get away, run fast and far, and legs that won't obey. _The strange girl, who still has her hand on Korra's arm, pushes her towards a clump of trees at the edge of the town square, glancing behind her nervously.

"Move, come on, let's go," the girl's muttering. Korra and Mako exchange a glance and follow the strange girl back into the woods.

"Stop." says Mako as soon as they're out of sight of the town center and the girl stops to catch her breath. "What the hell is going on?"

The girl doesn't answer, just points a hand to where they just came.

A young man is standing in the center of a group of masked men, with gaping bug eyed masks and black outfits. Some sort of blue light radiates from the center of their hands. They converge on the man, and Mako watches him fall with an anguished yell. _A panicked, helpless look. Smell of smoke and a short scream silenced by a gloved hand slapped over the mouth. Shouted commands and a blinding blaze. The only time he's ever wished he wasn't a firebender._ He's ready to jump out and stop this, but the girl holds him back. "You can't." she whispers. "They'll kill anyone who gets in their way."

He looks up again to find the benders gone and the young man collapsed on the ground. The girl lets go of Mako and runs out herself, kneeling beside the young man. Mako and Korra are behind her.

"Who were they? Why didn't you let us do anything?" Korra demands.

"They'd kill you if you got in their way. Believe me, it's happened before." the girl turns back to the young man. "Jori. Are you all right? Stay with me, please, just hang in there."

The man - Jori - slowly opens his eyes. "They couldn't get me yet." he manages to get out.

"You shouldn't be talking. Lie there. I'll heal you." Korra steps forward, only to be met with a hostile glare from the girl.

"Get your dark magic away from him." she snaps.

"What are you talking about? I'm a waterbender, I have healing abilities. I can help him." Korra tries to clarify.

"No." It's terrifyingly forceful, and Korra stops in her tracks. "We've seen well enough what benders can do. Haven't you? If you had any decency, you'd turn yourself in to that man who leads the Equalists. Get away from us."

The girl's looking plenty threatening, and Mako wouldn't put it past her to pull out some kind of weapon. He reaches out for Korra's arm. "Come on. They don't want us here." Korra allows herself to be pulled away, staring dumbly at the girl who's glaring back with astonishing venom and her fallen companion.

* * *

"They looked like chi-blockers." Korra says. She's gone into a state of hyper-rationality, looking at the confidence-rattling incident from every angle she can think of. "But I don't get it. Why would Amon be sending chi-blockers out after non-benders?"

"They've gone rogue, maybe. Joined him because they like being violent and throwing their weight around." Asami suggests. She's lounging around in front of the tent she'd started sharing with Bolin, playing with Pabu and half-listening to Korra's musings.

"But it doesn't make sense." Korra grumbles, pulling a tuft of grass out of the ground angrily and starting to tear it to shreds. "Unless..." She stops mid-tear, the green strands drifting from her fingers to the small pile she was forming of uprooted blades.

"What?" Asami asks, abandoning Pabu and giving Korra her full attention.

"What if it's what he wants?" Korra's speaking slowly as the idea takes form. "What if...he's trying to get people to see benders like that girl saw me?" She's silent for another second, clearly deep in thought. "But...those were electric gloves they were using. They weren't benders who were attacking."

"Something tells me they wouldn't know the difference back in that town." Bolin joins the conversation. He had gone to the town after Mako and Korra's incident to pick up the still-needed supplies. "I doubt they'd even know what electricity is. They seemed a little behind the times when I went there. Maybe I could convince them Pabu was a god!"

Asami smiles and lays a hand on his. "Good luck. But that might make sense, Korra, what you were saying. Maybe it's what Amon wants."

"He's a monster." Mako speaks up. "How could he be doing this - killing people, torturing them, just to get people to listen? Doesn't he think of the cost of it all? Doesn't he realize how much he's hurting these people?"

Korra looks over at her boyfriend with an expression of confusion turning to understanding. Mako catches her look, gets up, and walks off into the forest. Korra doesn't think twice about following him, and soon they're both gone. Asami turns to Bolin, the question she's thinking so clear it doesn't need to be said.

* * *

Korra doesn't catch up with him for a while. She's decided to give him a little time alone anyway, because something's obviously bothering him. She finds him by the stream where she comes to practice waterbending sometimes, sitting and staring out to the field across the water.

"You okay?" she asks. Mako shrugs. No answer. She tries again. "Something you want to talk about?"

"Today just came a little close to home. To before." Mako says tersely. It's clear enough that he doesn't want to talk about this, but he's still saying something.

"What..." Korra's trying not to push, but she's worried. She'll be the first to admit it.

"I never told you about what got me and Bolin on the streets, did I?"

Korra shakes her head. She's wondered, but she knows better than to ask. She can only assume it's not a nice story.

"There was an attack on my parent's place. It was back before any of the Equalist stuff, but there was a bit of a bad time going on then. It's gotten pretty hushed up - important people involved and all. Anyway, there was a bunch of guys who were going around near where my family lived, scaring people into submission. Sometimes there were really bad attacks just to keep us remembering that things were really bad and if we wanted a solution, we sure had better do what they wanted. Well...my parents came onto the receiving end of one of those attacks. They were killed, and me and Bolin just barely got away. I was 10. Been on the streets ever since...until pro-bending came along."

Korra can't think of any way to respond to this with words. It's horrible, too horrible for her to even imagine, losing people she loves to such senseless violence. She sits down next to Mako and puts her arms around his shoulders hesitantly, ready for him to shake her off and tell her that he wants to be alone.

But he doesn't. Instead, he puts his arms around her waist and hugs her tight, leaning to rest his head on her torso. Korra understands what he's asking for from her - he just wants to have someone to hold onto through the dark nights, just like she always needs.

"You don't always have to be the strong one." Korra whispers into the night after several minutes, not sure he hears her or is even listening. She feels his body shudder in response, and she realizes he's crying. She hugs him tighter and kisses the top of his head, and whispers, "I'm so sorry," wishing every second there was more she could do for him in the way he always does for her when she needs someone.

What she doesn't realize, and what he doesn't think he could ever tell her, is that just the fact that she'll let him lean on her is all he could ever want.

**A/N: Again, not what I expected, but I liked how this turned out. Poor Mako though. I'll try to be happier next chapter and have lots of adorable fluff and sexy Makorra babies or something. **

**And just to clarify (because apparently a few people are confused about this and therefore it is my shortcoming as a writer) - Asami and Mako have come to an understanding of being broken up. I tried to imply in one of the earlier chapters that Asami actually dumped Mako (because she was realizing that earthbenders are sexier) but if that's not clear, my fault. The timeline kind of jumps around a lot. The way I see the timeline of the story is - first and second chapters, Mako and Asami are dating, but Mako's just too nice to get out of it and he's just kind of seeing Korra on the side and praying Asami never finds out. This is before they leave the city. Chapters 3 and 4 - Mako and Korra are an established couple but Mako's dragging it out with Asami. Korra doesn't know that Asami is still a thing. Chapter 5 - it's kind of flashback-y in this chapter, but at this point Mako and Asami are over. Asami dumps Mako sometime (unseen) in Chapter 6 during the flashbacks, after they've left the city. **

**I realize that this is kind of a jumpy-around story, and my only explanation is that I meant for it to be a couple of disconnected oneshots and then people started reviewing a lot and I felt obligated to continue and tried to string them together as best I could. So, from this point on, Mako and Korra are openly a couple. Bolin and Asami are becoming a couple. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Who knew getting out of high school was so time consuming? Turns out there's finals to study for and deal with, overtime at work, graduation practices and awards nights to go to...point is, I've been busy. **

**But I'm officially out of high school now. And I just watched Episode 10 last night and was the embodiment of a spastic fangirl. Anyway, all the feels cleared up my writers block and I wrote this at 12:30AM when I couldn't sleep. On my iPod. That's how much I love you all. Thank you for sticking with me despite the fact that I've been horrible and haven't updated in forever.**

Mako finds her out at the river, a decent way from their camp setup. He's not surprised - it's the kind of place you'd go to be alone. He figured Korra just wanted to be alone, with the way she'd been acting out all day. Bolin and Asami both told him to just leave her to it, but he can't. Sometimes caring and worrying this much about a person is just horrible, because he can't force himself to just let her alone.

Korra's throwing darts of flame out of her fingers onto the water, sitting on a boulder at the river's edge. Little tongues of steam are rising from the water where her fire hits the surface of the water.

"Korra."

She turns, looking strangely wild for a second. "Hi. Don't mind me."

Mako doesn't say anything, because he doesn't think Korra wants to hear it right now. Something's been bugging her all day. Whatever it is, Mako figures, this is just her way of dealing with it. She's forward enough that if she wanted to talk, or cry, to him, she would have by now. She'd never had a problem telling him exactly what was up before. Trying to get her to talk about it when she doesn't want to, though - he knows it's pointless. Instead, he just climbs up beside her on the boulder, watches her shooting fire for a few minutes in silence.

"I know I've been kind of...on edge today." Korra says after a few minutes. She sounds apologetic. "Sorry, I guess."

Mako shrugs. "We all have bad days. And you're going through a lot." he says. "It's not your fault."

Korra slides off the rock, landing ankle-deep in the river with a slight splash. "Want to spar with me?" She looks up to Mako, questioning and hopeful. And something else, so unfamiliar on her face that it takes him a second to place it - pleading. It sounds more like a desperate request than an offer. So her accepts, no questions asked.

As they take their places, Mako's wondering why she's doing this. Distraction, or practice, or proof that she's still strong enough to get through all this and defeat Amon? But when she throws the first flames out of her fists straight at him, and he can barely block her in time, he understands - it's a little bit of everything, and something else too. Some people need to talk out problems. Others would rather take their space and silence and wait it out. Korra fights it out.

Her water whip takes him by surprise, a punishment for his momentary distraction. Mako cuts through the obstacle with a blast of fire, reflexes taking over and the mindset of the pro-bending ring taking over again. It's quickly becoming clear as the fight goes on that he'll never gain enough ground on her to make an actual offensive move - it's hard enough to defend against the onslaught of the three elements she's commanding. Of course, he could call her on the fact that she's employing an unfair advantage, but he doesn't. This is her fight, not his.

Korra doesn't let up on him, even for a second, and Mako lets her get close to him, close enough to see into her eyes. It's the kind of invasiveness that would get him killed in a fight where he had odds at stake, but this time it lets him get as good of a look as anyone could into what's going through Korra's head right now. He's surprised to see desperation, when she's clearly winning the fight.

Mako pays for his lapse of concentration with a water whip around his ankles, yanking him flat onto his back in an unceremonious heap. Korra stands over him, smirking in that infuriating way that she does whenever she wins at sparring. For that second, they could be back at the arena, in the practice rooms, and Mako would reach up and grab her wrists and pull her down on top of him and they'd both start laughing uncontrollably and he'd look up and realize just how beautiful Korra was when her hair was escaping from the ties she held it back with.

But they're not at the arena. The arena, the practice rooms, that life - all gone now, Mako has to remind himself. Still, Korra keeps the little smirk like this was just another fun sparring match.

"I win." she whispers tauntingly, bending down to his ear. And maybe because he just wants it to be the arena again, when the most any of them worried about was winning the tournament and mastering airbending, Mako grabs Korra's arms and pulls her down on top of him. She lands with a slight shriek and starts giggling.

"Not for long, Avatar." And then he's kissing her and everything's okay again. It could be.

* * *

It's late that night, when they're both lying awake in the dark. Korra's huddled up against Mako, staring at nothing and trying to keep her thoughts running straight. It's mainly in an effort to make sense of what's running through her mind that she speaks up.

"I don't even know what happened with me." she whispers, praying Mako will just let her talk without calling her a freak or a wimp or something. "It's all of this, everything that's happening...I don't know what it's making me feel. I'm just...I'm scared and I'm angry and I feel like I should be doing something but I don't know how." She stops, wondering whether she should keep talking, wondering if she's said too much already. It's the fact that Mako keeps running his hand along her back, just the way he's been doing for the past ten minutes, that tells her to go on. "I know I'm not the easiest person to be dating even at the best of times, I mean, there was a reason I was so bad at this whole relationship thing in the beginning, and this isn't even a good time for _anything_, really. So...I guess...thank you, Mako. For sticking with me through all of the stuff that's happened and that's happening and just..." She pauses again and takes a deep breath. "You really mean a lot to me, Mako. Thank you for being there."

Mako kisses the top her head and pulls her closer. "You don't have to thank me. I'll always be here for you."

**A/N: God, sometimes I think my writing is just my subconscious bitch-slapping me for not keeping a diary anymore. That was awkwardly personal. But I think it works so I'm keeping it.**

**I'm not happy about the way this ended, but I think it's an improvement over the horror of last chapter. And I just had a LoK marathon yesterday so I feel like I'm regrounded. Like...I have a better sense of what's happening in the Avatar-verse that went over my head the first time around. Which I think is good.**

**Don't judge me, it's late. Every time you don't review, Amon takes away a baby koala's cuteness-bending. Think of the koalas and review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: ALL THE ALERTS. You guys are all so wonderful. I love you all in a completely non-sketchy way. I am giving you a group hug over the internet.**

**To Yviene – I WILL NEVER STOP UPDATING. Maybe I won't always be updating this story, but there will always be fluffy Makorra given at to those who ask for it. Don't worry, I would never let unspeakable things happen to those poor baby squirrels.**

**So this is a pretty fluffy chapter because it seemed like a good idea and because I desire fluff. Mako and snow don't mix very well, much to the amusement of the rest of the world.**

"Mako! Mako, get up, bro! Come on!"

Mako's jolted awake by the shouts of his brother, and scrambles out of his makeshift bed, noticing as he does so that Korra's not where she was when they both fell asleep. Possibilities of worst-case scenarios fly through his head with lightning quickness - an Equalist raid. A fire. The ground collapsing in on itself and taking them all with it.

He tumbles gracelessly out of the tent, and only realizes after he's fallen face-first onto the cold ground that he forgot to put a shirt on. Korra giggles somewhere above his head. "I have to say, I like this look on you." he hears her say teasingly.

"What's going on?" he grumbles, lifting his face out of the dirt.

Korra laughs again. "Snow! Get up and look around, Cool Guy." She extends her hand, and Mako takes it grudgingly, trying to get up in the most dignity-saving manner possible. Of course it's snow.

Mako's never been a fan of winter - it always made firebending a necessity to staying alive, and he never felt quite as right-on with it when the world was locked in ice. Bolin, he remembers, never minded it. He had actually enjoyed playing in snowdrifts, messing around with other street kids and soaking through his boots every day Mako was unfortunate enough to look up and find white flakes drifting down. Judging by the fact that Bolin's trying to teach Asami the perfect technique for snowballs at the moment, it seems like he still has the same attitude. Mako would be rolling his eyes, but he's watching Korra who just seems so at home and so happy in a way he's never seen on her before that he doesn't care about his brother's immaturity anymore.

"How are you not freezing?" Asami calls over. "I know you're a firebender, but still, put a shirt on, Mako. You'll get frostbite and lose your arms or something." And Mako remembers he's standing shirtless in the first snowfall of what will hopefully be a very short winter. He disappears inside his tent to protect himself against the elements better, the laughs and shouts of his friends following him.

* * *

When Mako re-emerges, now outfitted in his warmest shirt, he's surprised to find an empty scene waiting for him. Bolin, Korra, and Asami have all disappeared.

His first instinct is to scream for them, but he forces himself to stay silent, every muscle of his body tensed and on alert. _If they've been taken by someone, why would they leave me? I was right there._ he wonders. _Unless..._

The thought doesn't have time to take form before something hits him in the face. Mako's knocked to the side and almost falls over again, wondering what kind of weapon would be so light and small and still able to sting so acutely.

"Gotcha!" Bolin yells from somewhere to his left. Mako shakes his head, trying to rid himself of the lasting sensations of being hit in the head with...whatever it was.

"What? Never been in a snowball fight before?" Asami's voice comes from several feet away. Mako spins around to realize she's facing him head on, holding a packed ball of snow in one hand, raised in a manner that, on Asami, seems threatening.

"A...what?"

"A snowball fight!" A slow grin spreads across Asami's face. "You've never been in a snowball fight. Do you even know what snowballs are?"

Mako figures his look of confusion is enough to prompt her to continue. Asami shakes her head with a mock sigh. "You better catch on quickly. Since you're new at this, I'll go easy on you." She turns and throws the packed ball of snow at Bolin, with an alarmingly good aim. The snowball hits the earthbender in the face, and he retaliates by diving behind a tree and throwing several back in Asami's direction, rapid-fire.

Mako's just starting to get the point of this game when a snowball hits him from behind. Then another. "Korra, damn you! You're a waterbender! You have an unfair advantage!" Bolin calls out.

"Who ever said this game was fair?" Korra calls back, tossing another snowball from behind the impressive-looking fortress she's constructed out of snow. Mako guesses waterbending was involved. He also figures that the only way he's going to survive this game is by somehow making Korra take mercy on him. He struggles through an onslaught of snow from Bolin and Asami (the cheating bastards have teamed up) and finally makes it to Korra's fortress.

"Korra! Let me in!" he yells out.

Korra laughs from the other side of the wall. "What? Fancy firebender can't handle a little cold?" Her head pops up over the wall. She's smiling in a way that Mako sees so rarely, it's almost enough to make him forget she's having fun at his expense and stop him from melting all the snow in the clearing.

"I'm serious! I'm dying out here!"

"So, fight back! It's good practice for real fighting!" Korra responds.

"I've never been in a snowball fight in my life!" he cries out, desperate. "Please, I'm begging. You don't want to be dating an icicle, do you?"

"That actually would be interesting..." Korra looks like she's mulling it over. "Fine. Come into the fort. But if you don't help me take down Bolin and Asami, you're out of here and I won't hesitate to get snow down your shirt." She smirks devilishly. "I'm a waterbender, and I'm not above using my powers for evil if they help us win this war."

* * *

About an hour later, both forts have been demolished and all four teenagers are dripping wet with snow. Asami and Bolin disappear into the same tent to 'dry off' very quickly.

"And they thought we wouldn't notice they're both in one." Korra shakes her head. "Guys, we know what you're doing in there!" she yells out in the direction of the tents.

"You're a hypocrite if you're judging us!" Asami's voice replied. "Now leave us alone or I'm going to start moaning really loudly and you won't know if I'm faking it."

Korra turns away from the tents, laughing softly to herself, and walks straight into Mako. "So. We won." she says coolly.

"You're welcome."

"I am curious, though," she says, that evil grin that Mako can't help but find so sexy, "who do you think would win if it was me against you in a snowball fight?"

"I was wondering the same thing." Mako replies, matching her tone. "So, I thought..." He takes a snowball out from behind his back and throws it into Korra's face. She shrieks and starts sputtering, trying to wipe the snow out of her eyes.

"Oh, it's on."

The assault starts again, and Mako quickly learns that it's not so nice being on the receiving side of Korra's dirty waterbending tricks in a snowball fight. She's got every advantage, and he's quickly soaking wet and covered in snow. Korra's sitting on the crumbling wall of her fort from the last battle, bending little flurries of snow at her feet. Every time he tries to come near her, a snowball comes out from behind what's left of her fortress.

"At least try to make this an interesting fight." she calls over to him, not looking up from the snow on the ground. Mako comes to accept the fact that he's never going to beat Korra, not with the way she's fighting.

"You're cheating." he reminds her.

"All's fair in love and war."

Mako gives up on the idea of snowballs altogether and runs at Korra, tackling her over the fortress and landing on top of her, in the midst of a stock of ammunition. "Cheater," she mutters, lacing her hands around his shoulders and leaning her head back into the snow. "Not that I'm complaining, but I think most of the fighting is supposed to involve snow in this kind of game."

"All's fair in love and war." He parrots her words back, leaning his face down inches from hers. "Besides, I've got enough snow on me that I think we could say it's still somehow involved."

**A/N: Personally, I like to believe Asami and Bolin were drawing or playing with Pabu or doing something equally cute like that. And that just kind of led into making out or more later on.**

**Hopefully this was fluffy enough. I think I might be taking a break from this for a little while. I have a decent idea for one more chapter, and then I might just say this is over and go work on other fluffy Makorra (and Asami/everyone) stories.**

**Oh my God the finale. I'm not kidding when I say I was squealing and flailing during the kiss. I'm being deadly serious. Thank God there's another season of this coming up, because I think I'd die if this was the end. I mean, it ended on a lovely note, but it's just NOT ENOUGH.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This is not exactly canon (it could have happened though at some point maybe) but that's okay. It's still cute.**

**Just a fair warning - this might be my last chapter for a while. I'll keep writing LoK stuff as time and my imagination permit, but I'm scared writers block might come on with this particular story. **

Korra hasn't said anything since they got on the boat back to the island. Mako keeps looking at her, trying to figure out what he can do or say to make this better, somehow, but he can't. The girl he's looking at hardly seems like Korra anymore. She seems broken, in a way that he had never imagined he would see on her. Korra always seemed so resilient, so tough, but Mako knows how much of her identity bending was. _She must feel like she's had her self taken away, _he realizes.

When the boat docks on the bay at Air Temple Island, Korra's the first one off. She doesn't run - she doesn't have to. Everyone sort of clears the way for her to pass through, walking slowly and dejectedly. She lifts her eyes from the ground and looks around once, with an angry, defensive sneer, her steely gaze lingering on Mako, Bolin, and Asami. Asami looks after Korra worriedly, then turns to the brothers and whispers "What can we do?" Bolin just shakes his head. Mako doesn't even want to try to answer Asami's question, because he can't bear to think about the fact that he has absolutely no idea.

The reinforcements who came in with General Iroh are camped out in tents on the beaches that night. Bolin and Asami have found their way to the rooms they've been staying in, and Mako figures he's supposed to do the same. But when night's fallen, after a silent dinner which Korra is notably absent from, Mako finds himself wandering the beach, feet pointed in the direction of the 'girl's side' of the island.

Korra's sitting on the edge of her bed, arms wrapped around herself and eyes staring at the opposite wall. She doesn't look up when Mako enters her darkened room through the window. He considers lighting a lamp or simply making a little fire in his hand to make it easier to see, but thinks better of it. Bending is probably best kept out of this situation.

"It's done." she says suddenly, just as he's opening his mouth to announce himself. "It's over. I don't know why you're here, Mako."

"It's not over yet," he says, because he has to believe it. For himself and for her.

"What can anyone do anymore?" she asks. "I'm not the Avatar now. That's what you're here to find out, right?"

"No." says Mako, surprised out of his comforting tone of voice. "Why would that be the reason I'm here?"

Korra turns around, and though Mako can't see her face fully, he thinks he sees something along the lines of relief in her eyes. "You wouldn't want to be with me if I'm not the Avatar."

"What are you talking about?"

Korra takes a deep breath, a shudder running through it like she's trying not to cry. "Because I'm nothing without my bending. I'm not who I was. Why would you still want me if I'm only a shadow of myself now?"

Mako stares at the girl he cares so much about, stunned by what's coming out of her mouth. At this moment, he wants nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her until the nightmare is gone, like he used to. If only holding her until she slept was all it would take to bring them to a brighter morning now. "Korra, you are so much more than your bending."

"I'm not." Korra whispers, and her voice breaks. Mako walks over to her and takes her in his arms. Even if it won't make everything better, he can't stand seeing Korra looking and feeling so lost and small. She unwinds her arms from around herself and hugs him tightly. "Please don't leave me, Mako."

"You know I won't." He can't understand how Korra could even think he would. He almost wants to tell her he loves her, no matter what, but he reminds himself that this isn't about him. She doesn't want to know about his feelings for her right now. She doesn't need that kind of thing. Right now, she needs him to be there for her in any way he can.

Mako holds her like that until she falls asleep. She doesn't say anything, but she doesn't let go of him even for a second, and he knows he can't. He could never leave her anyway, and right now, when she's just asked him not to, no force on this earth could have made him let go of her. And it's there, as he's cradling her sleeping form, looking almost as peaceful as though nothing had happened, that he whispers "I love you, Korra, no matter what happens to you or me or anything. Nothing's going to change how I feel about you."

**A/N: Okay, so this was kind of short, but I STILL LOVE MYSELF AND THAT'S WHAT MATTERS. I kind of got inspiration for my next chapter, so I guess this isn't going on hiatus or anything yet.**

**And I'm just going to randomly throw this out there - is there anyone who'd be willing to beta something for me if I was trying and failing painfully to write a chapter that might up the rating on this? I've tried, I'm just way too awkward to actually make anything happen/post anything without having someone proofread it and tell me if it's so horrible I'll be kicked off the site. So...any takers?**

**I'm updating for the sake of baby squirrels. You should review to ensure the well-being of those nice baby turtle-ducklings in your neighborhood pond.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Pardon the silence for so long - I had a crippling case of being awkward and trying to write M-rated stuff anyway. It didn't go well. And then I got writer's bug and started working on an original play (if anyone feels like reading and judging it, just let me know! Translation: Nina wants someone to read over her original stuff and can't ask anyone IRL because it's based off a real life situation that happened to me. Long story. Ask if you're interested.) **

**But anyway I'm not dead! I'm just still totally incapable of writing anything about a T. So in hopes that you don't hate me now, here's another random oneshot! ****Takes place not long after Korra gets her bending back. Implied Irosami because I ship Asami with everyone except Mako because he's Korra's, God damnit.**

**Caution – bit of swearing. Like, all of two swears, but if that offends you…just a heads up.**

"So...now what?"

Korra isn't totally sure what she's even asking. He loves her. She loves him. Asami's gone out for 'training' with Iroh and Korra gets the feeling that Mako's -maybe-ex-girlfriend isn't really going to be a problem right now.

"I don't know. Does it matter?" Mako responds, slipping his hand into hers and squeezing her fingers.

Korra shakes her head rapidly enough to send her hair ties flying and smacking into her cheeks. "No. Everything's okay now. I can bend again. That's what really matters."

Mako smiles down at her. He just looks happy, no worries or stress or fear, and it makes Korra smile just to see him this way. _I finally feel that way too,_ she realizes. _Everything's okay.  
_

Korra drags Mako out exploring around the ice and snow that she spent her childhood running through, bending icicles and snowflakes and shooting fire out of her fingertips every so often, each time with a look of awe. "I'm not going to take my bending for granted anymore," she tells Mako. "It was...it was horrible to think I'd lost it and I'd never stopped to think what a gift it is. I'm not going to be like that now."

The pair find a small cave - "There's a billion out here like it," Korra says. She leads him inside, promising that they won't get lost or trapped. "We've got the Avatar and a pretty kick-ass firebender here. We'll be fine."

They cuddle up near a small fire that Korra coaxes out of the hard ground - Mako would have done it, maybe given a pointer about how to get the blaze a little bigger, but he lets her do it. She's been using her bending every opportunity she gets, and it just gives him a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach to see the elated look she gets. It just makes him want to hug her. Which he does, as soon as she's far enough from the flames that her falling over won't end up in singed clothing.

Korra laughs as Mako tackles her. "What was that for? Are we supposed to be sparring now?" she asks teasingly. "Because if we are, you have about ten advantages over me and that's just not fair."

"I'm just happy that things are okay." he replies honestly. "It's just...amazing to see you like this. You're just like when I first met you, before all of this happened."

"You're different, though." she says, pushing him off her. "I'd go so far as to say you've improved, personality-wise." She laughs again.

Mako has to give her that one, because even he admits that he'd been a jerk when they first met. "Well, you like me now."

A grin spreads over Korra's face as she leans over to give him quick kiss. "Yep." She bounces up on her feet and spins around the small cave. "Isn't this a cute little place? I remember when I came here when I was little. I thought I was the shit, being able to earthbend and waterbend and firebend...these caves were the best places to practice. Even if they were a little out-of-the-way. Sometimes it's nice to get away, you know?"

Mako nods, because he definitely gets it. He never really had time or chances to be alone, not since his parents had died – he'd always been busy with Bolin or trying to find work. Solitude had been a rare and valued occurrence. _That was before, though,_ he thinks. _I don't want to be alone now. I'd rather be sharing this._

"Believe it or not, I was a bit of a loner. Okay, maybe an elitist. I just never thought anyone was good enough to come out here with me." She smiles at Mako. "Until now." She sits down next to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's been so long since things were like that. Like you know when you were a kid and everything was okay, you never had to worry about anything? It kind of feels like that again."

"Only some things are different." Mako says, pulling her into a comfortable embrace.

"Yeah. But in a good way. Like…now we know to cherish what we've got. It almost means more because you know that this, all of this, is something we had to fight for and that we almost could have lost forever or never even had it." She pauses, resting her head on Mako's shoulder. "I don't think this would have meant so much if I didn't have someone to share it with." Korra falls silent for a moment. "I don't think I would have wanted it to be anyone but you."

"I wouldn't have wanted this to be anyone but you."

**A/N: IT'S REALLY SHORT AND I'M SORRY PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED HERE. I HAD A PLAN AND IT JUST KIND OF WENT OUT THE WINDOW. **

**And to make up for the long hiatus and crap (and because I want some new ideas) I am going to ask you guys to tell me what kind of Makorra oneshot you want to see next. Seriously. Tell me what kind of sexy fun times you want Mako and Korra to get up to and chances are I'll write it. Or you could not leave me anything and I'll just cry and not write anything.**

**Review? If you don't pandas will fall out of trees and break their legs.**


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